Gaza ceasefire wobbles as Hamas and Israel clash again

The two week ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has already shown that hopes for a lasting peace were likely premature. On Tuesday, the IDF reported that Hamas militants fired anti-tank missiles and carried out sniper fire against Israeli forces in Rafah, in southern Gaza. One Israeli soldier, Master Sergeant (Res.) Yona Efraim Feldbaum, was killed in the attack.

While most of Rafah remains under IDF control, Hamas fighters are still believed to be operating through tunnel networks in the area.

Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to strike Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. A statement from his office said that “at the conclusion of security consultations, the Prime Minister directed the military leadership to carry out powerful strikes in the Gaza Strip immediately.” According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 104 people, including 46 children, were killed during Israeli airstrikes that followed the clashes.

In response, Hamas’ military wing announced it would postpone the handover of the body of a deceased Israeli hostage it had recovered earlier that day. The group warned that any escalation would “hinder the search, excavation and recovery of bodies,” delaying Israel’s retrieval efforts. Hamas later appealed to ceasefire mediators to pressure Israel to halt its strikes and uphold the agreement.

On Wednesday morning, the IDF stated that, at the direction of senior military leadership, it had begun re-implementing the terms of the ceasefire. Israel now expects that Hamas will resume the transfer of the remains of two deceased Israeli hostages, after previously announcing that their bodies had been located.